The soft patter of countless feet reverberated through her mind like a distant storm, pulling her deeper into herself as she huddled tightly, desperately clutching her throbbing skull. She rocked back and forth, seeking solace from the relentless ache that gripped her. Any thought of movement felt too daunting; instead, she anchored her body in place, bracing against the tide of pain.
An abrupt shuffle disrupted the stillness, heralding the arrival of the gathering feet.
She felt a gentle tug at her hands, as if the fingers encircling her wrists were engaged in a silent battle against her instinct to withdraw. She refused to relinquish her hold on her skull, clinging to it as if it were the only thing warding off the agony until it finally subsided.
"Please, I just want to see," she murmured, her voice barely rising above the chaos in her head.
But the anguish surged, pulsating through her like a wild storm, making her eardrums tremble helplessly. The cacophony around her faded into an insufferable silence, muffling any coherent sounds that dared to seep through.
Gradually, the cluster of feet quieted, and she unfurled, her tense limbs slackening. Her arms fell to her sides as her gaze drifted forward, her head cradled tenderly in another's hands. She felt a soothing movement, swaying side to side, as if her head was being examined with the utmost care.
The faint murmur of indistinct questions floated to her ears from the last remaining pair of feet lingering nearby.
"Why, man? Why didn't you just go when we told you to? When I told you to? What made you stay?"
The inquiries hung in the air, unanswered, each word echoing the weight of their frustration. There was no satisfactory response, no justification that could mend the breach.
Yet the gentle giant crouching before her couldn't overlook the subtle response that drifted from her lips, reaching their level with a breathy sincerity.
"I'm sorry."
